Firemint's Real Racing was already one of the most buzzed-about iPhone apps, but the extra screen real estate and speedier processor gives Real Racing HD for the iPad much more room to shine, resulting in a true showcase title for Apple's new tablet.

Brushes iPad Edition ($9.99) is the large-screen version of the iPhone app Brushes, a painting app that's sophisticated enough to have created cover art for The New Yorker. And with the 11 built-in brush effects and easy-to-use color picker, you can create some eye-catching art too.

Adapted from 2008's brilliant Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2 on Xbox
360, Geometry Wars: Touch maintains most of the addictive thrill of its
console counterpart, even adding a worthwhile new play mode, but the
touch interface cannot fully compete with the precise, analog-based
control scheme the game was originally created for.

The iPad isn't just a big toy, dig? Yes, it's an amazing e-reader and rocks for watching videos, but it's very possible to get some work done with the iPad too. Apple's iWork productivity suite has been redesigned for the iPad, with Keynote, Pages, and Numbers available in the App Store for $9.99 each. These apps let you create documents that can be synced to your Macs and shared via iWork.com, although if you're familiar with the Mac versions of these apps, there are constraints you're bound to hit quickly.

With the announcement of iBooks and its 60,000+ in-app downloads, Apple
set the standard for the iPad as an important reading device, and
luckily, other developers heard the calling. Several worthwhile reading
applications are now available, with many putting their paper
counterparts to shame with vivid artwork, embedded video, and
interactive elements. Still unsure of whether the iPad can kick some of
your traditional print reading habits to the curb? We've already given
iBooks its own full review, but here's a look at some of the other
initial reading offerings on the iPad.

E-reading is one of the cornerstones of the iPad,
and iBooks
handles that pressure with style. This beautifully designed app is a
pleasure
to use on almost every level, and it quickly earned a starring role in
our dock.